Filing apparatus.



W. E. GHOATE.

FILING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1350.7, 1907.

1,063,657. Patented June 3, 1913.

wfneses: Invenor: 6m www ZjllmmE Choae.

@MAM/M. 53M Mja@ AWII'JIrIIAllI E. ,CROATIE OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FILING APPARATUS.

naam'.

' lSpeciicacion of Letters Patent.

vllatented June 3, 1913.

Application filed December 7, v1907. Serial No. 405,510.

To all whom 15 may concern:

Be it fknown that I, Winnaar E. .CHoA'rn, a citizen of the United -States,and a yresident of Melrose, inthe countyof Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, `have in vented an .Improvement in Filing. Apparatus, of which .the following description, in connection .with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings .representing .like -parts.

This invention .relates to Tfiling receptacles and the like and accessories therefor; and consists in various featureswhich will ap- ,pear in the course of the succeeding description and will be defined .in the annexed` claims.

rlhe character .of the invention may be best understood by reference tothe accom- ,panying drawings, which show a convenient `Figa 6, 7 .and 8 aredetail iperspectives here' inafter described. Y A

'ln the drawer of Fig. .1 the bott-om 10 and sides 1l, ,12 are preferably integrahas shown in Fig. 4. The bottom may have strengthening ribs y14 struck up therein. lThe sides l1 .and 12 are preferably turned inwardly and downwardly to formdepending flanges 17, 18, .which notonly-strengthen and stiften the sides, but may also serve other .purposes hereinafter pointedout. At its rear end 4(on the right, Fig. 1) the vedge of each side is turned inwardly to form flanges 20, 20, a ainst .the inner faces of which the back 21 o the drawer is brazed, soldered, riveted or otherwise secured. A similar flange 22 Ais turned up on the bottom 10 as added support for the back 21. 'lhe flanges 20 and 22 are shown kin .dotted lines in Fig. 3. The sides .11 and 12 have at their front ends flanges 24, .24, similar to the flanges 20, which are engaged between the front 25 of the drawer on the outside and clips 26, 26 fixed to the front 25 on the inside. of considerable area, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when securely fastened, as by soldering or riveting to the front 25, serve to reinforce and ,stien the latter'. .Each clip 26, Whereit engages the flange 24,

The clips 26, 26 are abuts at its upper .edge against the overturned shoulder 28 of one of the sides 11 or Thus the front 25 is'prevented from slidlng upwardly. y[lef desired, however, the fr ont .25 .may be moved downwardly and withdrawn, the front 25 and clips 26 being guided by .the flanges 24, 24 of the sides 11 and 412. The .material of the -front 25 is .preferably struck .up to form a label receiv- '.1 n g seat 30 and a lug 3.1, .which may be turned down as shown'to supply a handleof the drawer. y

`Within the drawer isa follower consisting preferably of an integral face member 33 and heel 34. As shown .in Fig. 4, ,the face member 33 is preferably provided with ngers 36, 36 to extend upwardly between .the dependlng iiange .17 and side d1 and the flange 18 .and side ,12, respectively. With thisarrangement, Awhile A.the follower is entirely loose and unconiined as regards its normal and intended adjustment, it is ,positively held against .escape ffrom the drawer `until it is laid substantially :flat .upon the bot/om ,of the .drawr'and flifted obliquely ou As illustrated in Fig. 1 ,.the fingers 36,136 may be'turned or bent. out of ,the ,plane .of the face member 33, so that they maylbind yieldingly against ,the sides of .the drawer. Thisserves to hold :the follower in .adjusted posltion, against .the usual.v tendencies to shift it, while .permitting it to-loe moved readily by hand when desired. l

On the shoulders 28, 28 of the sides 1x1 and 12 maybe .placed tracks 40, 40, intended, as shown 1n Fig. 6,130 supportladjustable indexing devices, such as .therider' 42. rllhe particular described constructionof drawer supplies a very convenient seat for a track such as the track 40. Any practical number of riders 42 maybe provided; and the tracks 40 may loe-duplicated onoppositesides of the drawer with .represented or different indexing riders.

Fig. 7 shows a modilied -forin of track 44, having a rider 45'shown therewith.

. Fig. 8'shows a third form of. track 46, having a rider 47. In'this instance the track is merely a U-shaped piece lyingon its side, its upper arm being embraced between-the arms of the vU-shaped rider 47. Preferably the arms of either the rider or track or both are slightly sprung together, so that when .assembled the rider will be snugly gripped. This arrangement is particularly convenient in that the riders may be readily withdrawn individually. If it be desired for any7 reason to hold one or more of the i'iders or their substitutes stationary (if they be movable), this may be done in any practicable manner.

Fig. l shows a convenient fornnof indexing means exemplified by a scale 50, disposed on any convenient part of the drawer, as on a track 40. To cooperate with'the scale an index finger 51 may be mounted on the follower 33. The finger 51 may be pivoted to the follower, so as to be movable toward the scale and into Contact therewit-h, if desired. With this arrangement the exact number of filing cards or index units contained in the drawer may be readily determined by moving the follower 33 toward the front of the drawer until all the filing units are closely packed therein. The scale 50 being graduated from zero at the front end of the drawer, toward the rear and having its graduations proportioned to the -thickness of cards or filing units, the registration between the index finger 51 and the scale l50 will give a convenient direct reading of the number of units in the drawer. Of course the rearmost card in the drawer may itself serve as an index finger to cooperate with a properly positioned scale, but

an accurate direct reading may be providedfor by the means suggested.

The advantages of the described constructions will be apparent to those skilled in the art, who will likewise appreciate the various changes and modifications which may be made in said constructions within the proper scope of this invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

The invention is of course not limited to the specific forms or embodiments disclosed; nor is it essential that all of the features be employed conjointly since they may be used to advantagev otherwise.

- Claims- 1. The combination of a filing receptacle having suitable side members and a bot-tom member, with a follower having integral yielding means to engage said side members and integral yielding means to engage said bottom member.

2. The combination of a filing receptacle having sides formed to engage a follower against withdrawal, with a follower engaging said sides thereof and yieldingly and slidingly pressing against them.

3. In a filing receptacle t-he combination of a bottom member and side members, with a follower supported o`n the bottom member, and opposite yielding means forming a part of said follower pressing against each side member to position the follower on the bottom member and to hold it positioned frictionally without obstructing the receptacle while permitting the follower to slide along the receptacle.

4. The combination of a card filing receptacle having an open top with indexing means `therein adjustable to indicate the number of filing cards in the receptacle, and graduated means to coperatie therewith.

5. The combination with a card filing receptacle having an open top, of scale means for measuring the number of filing cards contained in t-he receptacle; and movable index means to cooperate therewith.

6. The combination of a card filing receptacle having suitable side members, a bottom member and anopen top permitting the ready visualization of cards in the receptacle, with a follower adjustable to different positions in the receptacle; an index carried by the follower; and scale means carried by the receptacle to coperate with the index for measuring the contents of the receptacle by reference to the position of the follower.

7. The combination of a filing receptacle having suitable side members and Ia bottom member, with a follower having yielding means to engage the members of the receptacle for holding the follower in position; index means carried by the follower; and scale means carried by the receptacle to cooperate with the follower index for measuring the contents of the receptacle.

8. In a filing receptacle the combination of side members having depending guide flanges within the receptacle; and a follower having fingers beneath said flanges, flexed somewhat out of the plane of the body of the follower, and pressing vieldingly and horizont-ally against the side members of the receptacle, to hold the follower in adjusted position while leaving the interior of the receptacle free from any supporting means for the follower.

9. In a filing receptacle the combination of side members having depending flanges within the receptacle; and an integral sheet metal follower having integral yielding fingers beneath said fianges to engage the side members of the receptacle.

10. In a filing receptacle the combination of side members having depending flanges within the receptacle and a follower having fingers beneath said flanges. said fingers being constructed to press yieldingly in opposite directions against the side members of the receptacle.

11. In a filing receptacle, the combination of suitable side members and a bottom member to receive articles for vertical filing; and adjustable and removable selective means mounted for adjustment horizontally along a side member of said receptacle, said means serving as a. key or mechanical index to the relative'positions of dierent parts of the yertically filei contents of the receptacle.

l2. The combination of a filing receptacle having suitable side and bottom members for vertical filing; afollower to maintain the verticuillj,Iv tiled contents in proper position; a track disposed lengthwise a side member of the receptacle; and selective means mounted and adjustable on said track and held against transverse movement thereon, said means serving as a key or mechanical index to the relative positions of dierent parts of said vertically filed contents.

13. rlthe combination With a tilingreceptacle of a contents-indicating or selective device supported thereby independently of the contents but in position to distin'uish part ot said contents from the remainder; and contents-measuring means adjustable by reterence to the contents, indicating the con tents oi the boxv by a direct. numerical reading.

ll, "Ehe combination of a tiling' receptacle having suitable bottom and side members; 20

ceptacle; a scale on the other side member 25 graduated in thicknesses of the individual devices contained ,in the receptacle; and means adjustable by reference to the contents to indicate on said scale the numerical contents of the box.

in testimony whereof, have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WLLM CHATE.

Witnessesz Lumenos fi. denser, Elo-erm HAMEL-nn. 

